Welcome to the 50th episode of In The 11 with Brendan Griffiths. Today we have a special episode with Brendan looking back on what he’s achieved so far with the In The 11 Podcast. This episode has got to be the most personal that Brendan has created. He talks about what the podcast was a product of, what his relationship with football actually is, what he went through and how it has affected his mental health. Brendan expresses his gratitude to all of his listeners that made In The 11 a success and lets it be heard that whoever is listening that is going through a dark time as he is, he wants them to know that they are not alone. More details from Brendan on the most honest episode yet so stay tuned!

What could have been:

Brendan shares that the pandemic was the reason why he didn’t push through with playing in Germany. He actually signed with a club in Bremen, Germany, but decided that it was not the best course of action given that there’s a pandemic. The sudden change of plans actually gave way for Brendan to try out something that he’s always been interested in, and that’s how the podcast came to fruition. He wanted to provide a platform for the community especially for the listeners who would like to become professional football players. 

Brendan’s growth along with In The 11:

The podcast was a two-way street. It provides educational and inspirational content for the community as much as it also helps with Brendan. He’s realized that the sport cannot be a crutch of some sort, that it should not be the only thing defining him after the most recent dark time he’s gone through and now he’s more open to other possibilities and these would not have been even thought of if he did not push through with the podcast. Brendan also stated that as much as this podcast aims to inspire and help aspiring professional football players, this is also his way of communicating with every listener to let them know that the mental toll of the sacrifices and the ups and downs in the industry is not something that they have to go through on their own.

~ 

Outline of the Episode: 

• [00:36] Looking back at In The 11
• [02:22] The podcast is for the community
• [09:40] What the podcast has grown into
• [15:11] The story behind the episodes
• [18:55] How the time away affected Brendan
• [26:56] Brendan’s realization about needing and loving the sport
• And many more! 

~

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Mentioned in this episode:

MANSCAPED

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Welcome to the 49th episode of the In The 11 Podcast! Today we are joined by Jake Keegan Stiker for the Greenville Triumph and former player for the likes of Forward Madison, FC Edmonton, Galway United, St. Patrick’s Athletic, FCA Darmstadt and Binghamton University. 

How the career started: Jake’s career was met with a lot of “no’s” early on as he partook in 9 trials before finding a club to call home. He reflects on those times as some of the most stressful and difficult in his career but also ones that he remembers very fondly. As he continued to grind his way through the professional soccer world he began to find success through the help of grit, determination, hard work and a few connections that provided some lucky breaks.  

About Jake Keegan:

Played 4 seasons of NCAA Division 1 soccer at Binghamton University, He became the school’s all-time leading Division 1 goal scorer and was drafted in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft by the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.~On September 1, 2013 Keegan signed with FCA Darmstadt in the Verbandsliga, the 6th division of German soccer. After being drafted by the Philadelphia Union in January 2013, Keegan trained with Maccabi Haifa (Israel), FC Lustenau (Austria), Harrisburg City Islanders (USA), New York Cosmos (USA), Austria Lustenau (Austria), FC Hard (Austria) and Usinger TSG (Germany) before signing in Darmstadt.

On January 29, 2014, Keegan signed with Galway FC in Ireland First Division, the 2nd division of Irish soccer. On December 1, 2015 Keegan signed with Canadian side, FC Edmonton who played in the NASL

On February 4, 2018, Keegan signed with St Patrick’s Athletic who play in the Ireland Premier Division, the 1st division in Ireland. Keegan finished up the season as Pats' top scorer with 9 league goals, 12 in all competitions.

On January 10, 2019 Keegan signed with Greenville Triumph SC who play in USL League One, the 3rd division in the United States.

On January 26, 2021, it was announced that Keegan had signed with Forward Madison FC of USL League One.

After spending the 2021 season in Madison, Keegan returned to Greenville on December 21, 2021.

Outline of the Episode: 

• [02:18] What made Jake decide to change teams  
• [07:06] The Jake then versus the Jake now
• [09:36] What is the MLS draft
• [16:10] What are some of the sacrifices Jake and Brendan made
• [19:40] Jake’s experience in the Haifa Trial in Israel  
• [23:00] How the trials helped Jake grow his career
• [27:32] Jake’s advice to players going to their first trial
• [33:54] The feeling of when everything’s culminated 
• [37:31] The thought process of being a forward
• [45:04] Jake’s FC Edmonton experience 
• [47:28] The toughest thing to go through as a player
• [51:17] Jake’s relationship with the sport
• And many more! 

~

Connect with In the 11 Podcast!

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Episode 48: The MLS Academy Difference; a chat w/ Steve Covino

Welcome to the 48th episode of the In The 11 Podcast! Today we are joined by Steve Covino, one of the coaches selected for the 2-year coaching course hosted by the French Football Federation. Steve shares his journey to becoming a coach and how things have changed in the field of Soccer over the years. Steve shares the hardships that are necessary for an aspiring coach to go through to make sure that they are as seasoned as a person as they would want their students to be. Taking both inspiration and lessons from the people that have been a part of his continuous path in coaching, Steve perseveres and shares more about his insights on Soccer as a coach.

How the career started:

Early mornings, late nights, and 24 hours of passion for the sport made Steve want to coach the youth and help them not only improve but to be able to build a career out of the sport. Being inspired by his father and previous coaches from Siena College, he experienced different hardships just so he could realize his goal of wanting to guide children into becoming great athletes.

The changes in the playing field: Stepping out of college years ago, was a difficult start for Steve because the sport, popular as it is back then, is not as properly promoted in the US as it is now. Not only that but as one does when pursuing a career out of passion, albeit, Steve believes that the US is a sleeping giant in global terms as national team players continuously compete with other countries in different leagues and the numbers are steadily rising in both players and promotions. 

About Steve Covino:

A native of Bristol, Conn., Covino was named to the NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-North Atlantic Region Team and to the All-MAAC Second Team as a senior midfielder for the Saints in 2010. That season he posted career highs with eight goals and 20 points. Covino played in 71 games over his career with the Saints, making 69 starts. He was also named to the All-MAAC Second Team following his sophomore season. 

~

Outline of the Episode: 

• [02:28] How Steve Covino started in the field
• [05:58] What inspired Steve to become a coach
• [08:11] What happened next after Siena College
• [10:49] How professional Soccer changed over the years
• [16:38] How Steve decided to coach rather than play
• [23:31] How the professional field grew
• [24:58] What Steve does to progress his career further
• [26:44] The ups and downs of the journey
• [33:28] How did Steve maximize his opportunities
• [42:36] The intricacies of the sport and coaching
• [45:33] The experience with the French Football Federation
• [49:18] Impact of the experience with learning from other cultures
• [52:26] What’s it like for Steve to see his players develop
• [56:43] How Steve sees the US in the professional field

~

Connect with In the 11 Podcast!

Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/inthe11pod

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Episode 47: Shark Bites, Selling Danish Fish And Playing For Landon Donovan: a chat w/ Chase Boone

Welcome to the 47th episode of the In The 11 Podcast! Today, joining us is San Diego Loyal SC’s forward, Chase Boone. While he did not go into a D1 school, he proved that it takes personal work to build your career and become a professional player. In this episode, Chase looks back into how he got started in his soccer career and his experiences along the way. As always, there is a lot to unpack, so stay tuned and enjoy!

Getting Back in the Game

Every player’s misery is having an injury. It is a domino effect from there – surgeries, rehabilitation, pain – and there is the possibility of not playing ever again. Chase had his share of experience getting injured. It happened at the end of training in Denmark. Chase was pinning the center back and took a touch with his left foot to shoot. When Chase planted his foot, the other player stepped on his foot. Chase rotated his body, but his lower leg was stationary, resulting in a blown knee. His patellar tendon got torn, and his kneecap was up on his thigh. Because of the injury, Chase could not continue playing for the team and had to undergo a series of surgeries.

Chase had been in a straight leg brace for three months, got the wire taken out, and started rehabilitation after another three months. Unfortunately, his leg lost as much muscle mass as Chase described it looking like a twig, which got him very emotional. His dad went to Denmark to assist him and eventually flew him back home to the US. Despite suffering from the pain and going through recovery, Chase was lucky he did not miss out much on the games since the pandemic hit. It was a good thing he got back to his feet to try out for the San Diego Loyal SC. The injury was a thing in the past but served as a reminder for Chase to rise every time he falls.

About Chase Boone:

Chase Boone joined SD Loyal 13 games into the 2021 season after signing July 24. Boone, 25, is from Beaverton, Oregon, and played college soccer at the University of Redlands. He is coming off a stint with Thisted FC in Denmark. Boone is a versatile attacker who is two-footed and good in the air. He impressed the coaching staff during a trial period. He made his SD Loyal debut the same day the club announced his signing, coming on as a sub against Phoenix Rising FC.

Outline of the Episode:

[0:01:35] Started at junior year in high school playing soccer

[0:04:26] Desire to be on the national team

[0:08:34] D1 does not equate to becoming a pro; personal work does

[0:13:19] An overview of the trials Chase went to and going overseas

[0:20:54] How to rise above difficulties in trials

[0:24:24] Chase’s experience in Scotland and how he ended up in Denmark

[0:33:25] Job hunting out of need

[0:38:03] What was it like living alone in a foreign country for trials

[0:40:56] The not-so-easy experience in Denmark dealing with an injury

[0:47:09] Rehabilitation in Denmark and coming back to the US

[0:54:05] Recovery and bouncing back from injury during the pandemic

[1:02:25] Smooth trial for San Diego and playing for Landon Donovan

[1:06:42] What comes next for Chase after wrapping up the season

Episode 46: A Member Of The Goalkeeper Union Takes on Portugal; a chat w/ Sergio Hernandez

Welcome to the 46th episode of the In The 11 Podcast! Today, joining us from Portugal is our first goalkeeper on the show, Sergio Hernandez. He is a former teammate of mine at Chestnut Hill College, where we played for almost four years before the pandemic threw a wrench in it for him. In this episode, Sergio shares his life growing up, his soccer career, and his vast family history with the game. As always, there is a lot to unpack, so stay tuned and enjoy!

The Challenges of Playing Overseas

It is always an incredible experience getting to play a game you love overseas. But there is much more to the experience than just playing soccer with different people entirely. For example, when we trained overseas, we noticed how every country had its own game strategies and coaching techniques. In Sergio’s experience, he saw that the styles differ in how they even the goalkeeper’s strength and how the goalkeeper trains at home. Not only that, but each goalkeeper coach even had their own style, which can be a good and bad thing depending on how different your style at home is. Nevertheless, you get to see so many playing styles overseas that you can’t quite choose just one. Sometimes, you might even get stuck between specific techniques. 

In Portugal, for instance, their technique for goalkeeper training can get very technical. First, they would do short bursts of high-intensity sets, then your rest in between them would be fast-paced walking, just enough to catch your breath, and soon after that, the set begins again. Even the way they train goalkeepers to catch the ball is super different. And so, if you plan on playing professionally overseas, you have to learn the way the country plays the game and eventually perfect it to be on any official team. And while paperwork is the most challenging thing about becoming a professional soccer player, it is always good to adjust to how your team plays the game.

About Sergio Hernandez:

Sergio Hernandez grew up in Westchester, just outside the city of New York. Sergio played for a couple of soccer clubs until he was 13  but eventually decided to play for the Westchester Flames, a United States League 2 team. Years later, he got to play college-level soccer and, for a while, even trained his brothers, who played at different levels. But even when things got competitive between him and his siblings, it never stopped him from pursuing a career in the game. In truth, his passion for soccer stemmed from playing with his brothers, who helped him get through his college life and his soccer career. 

Outline of the Episode:

[01:18] Sergio’s life growing up with soccer.

[02:50] His experience playing with his brothers.

[04:15] The evolution of his soccer career.

[10:35] The challenges he faced from his knee injuries.

[15:00] Second-guessing yourself as a player.

[17:47] The mentality behind playing as the goalkeeper.

[21:38] What inspired him to become a goalkeeper.

[23:52] His mindset getting back into the collegiate port.

[28:34] Solid advice from Sergio on becoming a goalkeeper.

[30:37] Going to the game during the pandemic.

[33:52] What to do when the game you love is taken away from you.

[38:13] How...

Episode 45: Spanish Rondos, Rubbing Shoulders with DaMarcus Beasley and Winning Icy Promotions in Iceland ; w/ Jose Sito Seoane

This week Sito steps into the 11 and he shares his incredible story of playing at the highest levels for nearly a decade. Growing up in Spain he made the difficult decision to explore new opportunities in the United States and it kick started new avenues in his professional career. Experiencing youth football and Spanish culture all his life he may have never predicted himself trying his trade in Iceland however he has found a home in Iceland both professionally and personally and has enjoyed great success scoring goals and winning promotions. Sito shares the highs and lows this episode and how to get to the pro level and stay there!

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Mentioned in this episode:

MANSCAPED

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Episode 44: A Creed United by Football; w/ Khedive McIntosh

Khedive is back following his debut episode (Episode 16) to chat with us about the Footy Creed his new business, the realities of mental health in professional football, and what the future holds for his professional career on the pitch and off it. Khedive is a player that is thoughtful and introspective, a journeyman in Europe, and his maturity and knowledge reflects that. Don't miss this episode and make sure you check out Khedive's first time on the mic!

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AT CHECKOUT USE CODE: inthe11

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Episode 16 : https://open.spotify.com/episode/5NVikL7V0JB24wnL3Pq5m3?si=LfbW7mjFSmais1lzc9eGRw

Check out the Footy Creed: https://www.instagram.com/thefootycreed/

https://www.facebook.com/The-Footy-Creed-223698286312900

Mentioned in this episode:

MANSCAPED

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Episode 43: The Ultimate Student Athlete; a chat with Scott Fishel

Scott Fishel is in the 11 with us this week and we go over his illustrious Division 3 soccer career. The now doctor and recent new father gives us some of his insight onto how he was able to balance the rigors of his academic program, college soccer, work and a social life. For anyone currently a student athlete, planning to become one or someone who wants to learn more about what it takes to be a student athlete this is the episode for you.

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AT CHECKOUT USE CODE: inthe11

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Mentioned in this episode:

MANSCAPED

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Episode 42: Commanding a Kazakh Back Line; Jess Johnson's Career in Kazakhstan

This week Jess Johnson is in the 11. She has a storied career at Monmouth University that she shares with us followed by signing her first professional contract. Did she ever expect it to be in Kazakhstan? Maybe not, but she is making the best of every moment and opportunity and loving football as a professional.

MYSTERY SPORT: https://www.mysterysport.com/

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Mentioned in this episode:

MANSCAPED

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Episode 41: Captain of FC Haka in Finland; a chat with Jacob Bushue

This week Jacob Bushue is in the 11 to talk about his career in football. From being a national champion in the NCAA with powerhouse Indiana University, to signing a contract in the USL with St. Louis Jacob has experienced success at many levels of the game. However it was a long and challenging journey to get to where he is today, captain of a top flight club in Finland FC Haka. Jacob sits down with us this week to candidly share his story on the football journey that has brought him around the world and turned him into the person he is today.

Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/inthe11pod

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Mentioned in this episode:

MANSCAPED

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